Never Thought
by Ashi Ruby
Summary: Anzu's life begins to change when Seto Kaiba protects her from her abusive father. Now that she tries to adjust to a new chapter in her life, he begins to wonder his growing feelings for her. SxA
1. Protection

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Author's note: This is my first SetoxAnzu fanfic, so please be kind! XD

Never Thought

Chapter 1: Protection

Anzu looked at the bandages on her arm, then at the bandage on Mokuba's head. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she whispered to him, trying to hold back her tears. '_He came after me, and then attacked them as they tried to protect me...why? Why did he do that?_' she asked herself, going over the events in her mind.

An hour ago, Anzu was partly enjoying herself. She bought a new pair of earrings with the money she received from babysitting her neighbor's little boys, and she was set to have a fun day with her friends at the Kame Game Shop. Little did she know that he was going to follow her, that they were going to protect her, that her life was about to change off its usual path.

--Flashback--

_"I can't wait to wear these to school tomorrow! I have to thank Mrs. Liga for this later, cause if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have them," she said aloud proudly, looking at the cute, red heart-shaped stub earrings she just bought. She was happy, and her day was only going to get better when she reached the Kame Game Shop, where Yugi promised everyone a fun movie-and-snack party to celebrate their high test scores._

_Suddenly, she felt someone jerk her shoulders and push her against the wall. "You little, ugly bitch! How dare you walk out of the house without my permission!" said a voice, dangerously close to her ear, and Anzu could smell the alcohol on their breath._

_"D-dad! Let me go!"_

_"You are coming home now! You have to make my dinner!"_

_"No! I'm not a slave!"_

_Her father slapped her hard, enough to knock her down to the ground. Anzu held her cheek with both of her hands, her earrings landing at his feet. "No!" she cried as he stepped on them, breaking the earrings, then he kicked her. "You worthless bitch. You are no better than your mother. She was just as worthless as you," he said._

_"No she wasn't!"_

_"Then why did she leave?"_

_"Because you abused her! She left to get away from you, even after you promised to clean up!"_

_He kicked her again, this time hard in the stomach. Anzu choked, coughing up a bit of blood. His nails dug into her arm, making her bleed. "You are worthless, ugly, stupid, damn shit. Nothing more than dirt on this planet," he said, slapping her and making sure his nails caught her skin._

_Suddenly, he was pulled away from her and was punched against the wall. Anzu tried to see who it was, but she began to fall into unconsciousness, her father's beatings taking a toll on her. As she began to fall to the ground, she swore she could hear a voice say her name. A familiar voice._

_Seto Kaiba's voice._

--End Flashback--

When she came to, she was in the hospital, bandages on her cheek and arm, and feeling the sore ache of a bruise on her stomach. Next to her was Mokuba Kaiba, knocked out with a bandage on his forehead. She realized it was the Kaiba brothers that saved her from her father. She got up out of the bed and sat down in a chair next to Mokuba. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." she whispered again, her voice cracking and tears falling down her cheeks.

"You're up now, aren't you?"

Anzu turned around to see Seto Kaiba standing in the doorway, showing very little signs of himself being caught in a struggle, except for his clothes being dirty. "You should be grateful, Mazaki. That guy could have killed you," he said in his usual tone. Anzu couldn't say anything to him. He was right, her father could have, and would have, killed her, if he didn't come in.

"Who was he?"

"...My father."

"That was your dad?"

"Yes..."

Anzu coughed, then wiped away her tears. She didn't want to show any more tears in front of the older Kaiba. "I'm so sorry that you were both hurt because of me. I'll try my best to pay back for the hospital bill and such...what happened to my dad?"

"Cops took him in. He tried to say I was the one that attacked him, but...well, seeing two unconscious people on the ground with a lot of witnesses around broke him down. Let's just say that we are going to have to appear in court over this."

"I see...I hope that he gets sent to jail for a long time."

Seto watched as she dried her eyes with a tissue. "Why did he attack you? Not that it's any of my concern, but since you got me into this mess, I should know," he said.

Anzu took in a deep breath, "He hates me. He hated my mother. He abused both of us, but he never harmed me until my mother ran out on the marriage, leaving me behind. She thought that he would never hurt me because I was his daughter, but I guess not." She started to cry again. '_But now...with him gone...I have nowhere else to go. My dad's family cut all ties off to me when Mom left, and Mom and I haven't talked since she left_,' she thought. Seto looked at her skeptically, but then Mokuba began to wake up. "Big brother, Anzu?" he asked weakly. "Mokuba, thank goodness you're all right," Anzu said, trying to dry her tears and put on a big, fake smile. "Anzu, we wanted to help you. Don't blame yourself for us," he said kindly. His kind words sparked a pain in her heart, "Oh, Mokuba..." Seto patted his brother's head, "Your idea."

A doctor knocked on the door, "Good, you're both awake! Well, let's see...the wounds inflicted on both of you are pretty superficial, ones that will heal soon enough. But for now, there is an investigation going on at your place, Miss Mazaki. So, for now, do you have a place to stay?"

Anzu stumbled, "Um..."

"She'll stay with us," Seto said, earning a look from her and Mokuba. "All right. Well, I'll just get the discharge papers and you folks can be on your way," the doctor said, leaving.

"Kaiba...why?" Anzu asked. "Listen, I'm not doing this for you. I knew that Mokuba would more than likely pop up and say it, so I beat him to it. You'll stay in one of the guest rooms, one of the maids will go with you to buy some new clothes, and you'll stay with us until the investigation and everything is over. And if you really must do something to pay me back for this "kindness" I'm showing you, then you can help with baking some treats for us. The last treats you made were sweet, and having more will be good enough," he explained. Anzu bent her head, "Thank you..."


	2. You're Not Alone

Chapter 2: You're Not Alone

As much as Seto hoped to avoid the media press as they left the hospital, he was sadly mistaken. As soon as they got outside, the threesome was attacked by cameras, questions, and microphones.

"Mr. Kaiba, could you explain your side in the story?"

"Who was that man, Miss Mazaki? Why did he attack you?"

"What are you going to do now, Miss Mazaki?"

"We are not answering questions at this time. Now move it," Seto said angrily, leading Anzu and Mokuba by the hands to the waiting limo. "Kaiba Mansion," he said to the driver as soon as he shut the door. The reporters began to disperse as soon as the limo moved away from sight.

"I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble..."

"Don't worry about it Anzu."

Anzu gave Mokuba a weak smile, then looked out the window. Seto looked at her for a moment, then took out a cell phone. He dialed a few numbers, sighed at the rings, then finally spoke.

"Hello Rose. Fine. Did you set up the guest room? Good. Now I have another task for you to do. She is unable to return to her house and get some clothes, so I need you to go out and buy some new outfits for her."

He turned to Anzu, "What size are you?" "Adult medium in shirts, and ladies 9 in pants and such," she replied, and Seto relaid the information to his maid.

"Got that? Put it on my bill; I'll pay it later on when things calm down. All right. Bye."

Seto closed the cell phone's flip top and placed it back in his pocket. "When we get there, you will be given something until Rose returns. Since I doubt you want to continue going around in ripped clothes," he said, giving Anzu a tormenting-like smirk. Anzu looked at her jeans and noticed for the first time the rips from when she fell hard to the ground. "Thank you..." she whispered, then went back into silence.

* * *

"Hello, Master Kaiba, Master Mokuba."

"Hello. Did Rose leave out?"

"Yes, shortly after you called."

Seto gave one of the maids his jacket, "Which room is Anzu staying in?" "The third room from Master Mokuba's playroom," said the maid. Seto nodded, then turned to Mokuba and Anzu. "How about you show her to her room, Mokuba," he said. Mokuba nodded with a smile, taking Anzu's hand, "Come on! And then I can show you the playroom and stuff!" he said excitedly, although she only managed a weak smile.

"Master Kaiba?"

"Yeah?"

"She'll be all right?"

"How am I supposed to know? I don't have her brain."

"I'm sorry. I just thought that...you would know her heart."

The maid bowed and disappeared, leaving Seto to wonder what she meant. He shook his head, "I need to get back to work."

* * *

The rest of the day went on almost uneventful. Seto spent his day up in his office, Anzu explored the house and the new clothes that Rose bought her, and Mokuba split his time up between helping Anzu and doing a big homework assignment for school. Dinner came, although Anzu refused to eat much of anything, and she spent the rest of the evening up in her room, the door almost closed with a crack enough to let a little light from the hallway come in.

The night dragged on, and Seto, coming into the living room enough to get to the kitchen, noticed the sleepy-eyed Mokuba on the couch.

"Hey, you. Better get to bed. You do have school tomorrow."

"All right...Night Seto."

"Night."

Seto sighed as he watched his brother go off to his room, then entered the kitchen for a cup of coffee. '_Best make a lot of it. I'm going to be up all night. Thank god tomorrow we have a day off from school_,' he thought, remembering that all high school students had the day off before the next quarter began at school.

As soon as his coffee was ready, he took his cup and walked back to his office. He moved past Anzu's room, and noticed the light was on. Gently, he opened the door to find her asleep.

'_Damn girl. Can't she sleep without the light on? Wasting electricity and everything..._'

As he moved towards the bed to turn off the light, he noticed her cheeks stained from tears. Her arms crossed over her shoulders, her knees were to her stomach, and she was breathing softly, as if she fell asleep crying. A few strands of hair fell over her cheeks, and gently he brushed them behind her ears. He was taken back by how soft her skin was, and almost moved away.

"Dad...I loved you," she whispered, "Why did you leave me all alone?" Seto's eyes softened as more tears fell from her eyes. She was asleep, but her heart was still awake. He turned off the light and moved her enough to get the blanket over her. As he left, his coffee in hand, he whispered, "You're not alone." He closed the door and went to his office to finish his work.


	3. Pity

Chapter 3: Pity

"Hey, Kaiba! Let us in already, will ya?"

"Joey! Calm down!"

Tristan sighed as little Yugi tried to calm down Joey from yelling at the video phone. Seto was laughing, enjoying the mutt's exclamations. "Sit boy," he said, then finally turned to Rose, "Go ahead and let them inside." "Yes Master Kaiba," she said sweetly, then opened the door fully to the three teens.

"Finally!"

"Joey, keep your cool."

"Anzu! An-ZUUUU!"

"Geez, you guys don't have to yell. I'm right here."

Anzu perked up from the couch where she was watching TV with Mokuba. She had taken off her bandages, her arms covered with a long sleeved, purple top and wearing a new pair of blue jeans. "Hey guys. What's up?" she asked. Yugi jumped at her, giving her a large hug. "Anzu, why didn't you tell us what happened to you? When we heard what happened on the news, we were so worried!" he said. She embraced him back, a frown on her face. "I couldn't tell anyone...I was...afraid," she said.

"You could've told us, Anzu! I would've kicked dat man's ass!"

"Yeah, we would've helped you out!"

"I couldn't tell anyone! Because I know he would have gone after you too!"

Anzu broke away from Yugi and began to run away, going upstairs towards her room. "Anzu!" Mokuba called, "Sorry guys, but she's really emotional right now." "Yeah..." Tristan said.

**'Anzu...she went through so much.'**

_'I know, Yami. But she wanted to protect us, which is why she didn't tell us.'_

Seto came out of his office and walked down the hallway, only to be stopped halfway through by a crying Anzu. "Watch where you're going, Mazaki, and aren't your friends out there?" he asked her. She looked up at him with tearful blue eyes then ran past him to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm sorry, brother, but the guys was asking her why she couldn't tell them and she got upset."

"I see."

Seto doubled back to her room and knocked on her door. "Let me come in," he said roughly. He opened the door and looked at Anzu, now on her bed crying into her pillow. "Mazaki," he said, approaching her bed.

"They don't understand! They don't understand at all!"

She sobbed a bit harder into her pillow, squeezing it tightly in her hands. "If I told them about my dad...he would have just gone after them too. He hates everything about me!" Seto frowned, sitting down by the edge of her bed. After a small battle of wondering, he placed a hand on her head, making her stiffen. She looked up at him, her eyes now red from tears.

"Here. Come here," he said, letting out an arm to her to cry on his shoulder. She sat up, her eyes lit up to his kindness, then the tears came again and she rested her head against him. He wrapped his arm loosely around her shoulders as she quietly sobbed.

"I hope...that you're not doing this because you pity me. I don't want pity."

"I just hate seeing people cry."

Anzu hid it, but she smiled very slightly as she cried, it disappearing with a sob. She felt a bit of warmth from the usually cold Seto Kaiba, and in some odd way, she enjoyed it.

Mokuba and the others watched from the hallway. "Poor Anzu...she just wanted to protect us," Yugi whispered. "Yeah...I still want to kick his ass," Joey said, Tristan nodding in agreement. "Hey, let's go back out into the living room. It might be better if we leave her alone. Besides, it looks like Seto's taking care of her right now," Mokuba said and the others nodded.


	4. The Media and the Trial

Chapter 4: The Media and the Trial

"I got you a spare uniform for school."

"Thank you, Miss Rose."

"It's not a problem. Master Kaiba just wants to make sure you go to school without causing more trouble."

Anzu laughed as she tossed the uniform on her bed, "Of course. That sounds just like Kaiba." Rose smiled, bowed slightly, and closed the door, allowing the teen to change.

"Brother, do you think it'll be all right for her to go to school?"

"She'll be fine."

"Miss Mazaki will be down in a few minutes, Master Kaiba."

"Fine. Thanks, Rose."

Rose bowed, then disappeared to take care of some needed laundry. Seto took a sip of his coffee as Mokuba, swinging his legs against the legs of his chair, ate his bowl of oatmeal. Anzu appeared a few minutes later, as said by Rose, ready for breakfast. "What's for breakfast this morning?" she asked. "Whatever you want Michi to make," Seto said, motioning his head to the awaiting cook. "Hello, Miss Mazaki, and what would you like to eat?" Michi asked her. "Um, can I have french toast and milk?" Anzu asked, and Michi nodded, beginning his work.

"You better eat fast, Mazaki. We have to leave for school in a half-hour."

"I'm not that slow, Kaiba."

"Could've fooled me."

Anzu glared at him, '_Yep, same old Kaiba._' About ten minutes later, Michi laid a plate of french toast and a glass of milk in front of her. "Mmm, delicious!" she said praisingly as she took a bite, making the cook smile. "I'm glad you enjoy it."

* * *

"Damn it."

Anzu looked outside the window at Seto's curse, noticing the media out in front of Domino High, all of them certainly waiting to question the two teens about the incident three days ago. "How could I figure?" he muttered, "All right, Mazaki. Take my hand and let's get going." Anzu nodded, a slight blush forming on her cheeks when she felt Seto's hand wrap tightly around hers as they exited the limo. The media jumped on this quickly, forming around them like they did at the hospital.

"Miss Mazaki, how are you doing now?"

"Mr. Kaiba, will you speak with us now on your involvement?"

"The trial for your father is set for Friday. Are you both going to be there?"

"Your father is requesting your return now that he is out of jail. Will you return home?"

Anzu stopped. "He's out of jail?" she whispered. "No, she won't be returning. She will be staying with me. Now no more questions. We have class to attend," Seto said sternly, leading her to the front door and inside. Anzu felt her heart speed up, and she rushed her hand to her chest, breathing deeply. "Why...why did they let someone like him out?" she asked, trying to calm herself. Seto's hand steadied her, but it couldn't stop the tears from forming and falling down her cheeks. "He shouldn't be out! He should be still in there!" Seto took her shoulders and gently shook her. "Mazaki, calm down, all right? The trial's on Friday, and you and I are going to testify. He's not going to hurt you again. I promise, all right?" he told her. Anzu looked at him with her teary blue eyes, then nodded. "Thank you, Kaiba," she said.

"Good. Now dry your eyes. I don't want to be seen with a crybaby."

"You jerk!"

"Yes?"

"Ugh! Where's Joey?"

Anzu pulled away from Seto's grip and stormed off to her class, hoping to find her friends waiting for her. Seto smirked, not noticing the strange loss of warmth from his hands.

* * *

_Friday, the morning of the trial..._

Anzu looked herself over in the mirror. With Rose's help, she was able to pick out an acceptable outfit for wearing to the trial. Her face held a light tinge of rouge blush, enough to cover up some of the marks from her tears. Her blouse was longsleeved, but loose in case the scars were needed as evidence against her father. Her skirt managed to cover the remains of bruises on her legs. She sighed, "I don't think I'm ready for this."

A knock came on her door. "Miss Mazaki? May I come in?" Rose asked. "Yes," Anzu replied to the young maid. "Master Kaiba has asked me if you were ready. He and Master Mokuba are waiting for you," she said sweetly. "Yeah, I guess I'm ready," Anzu replied, sighing again.

"I know how you feel, Miss Mazaki. My mother used to abuse me."

"She did?"

"Yes, but my father rescued me from that life. He was my hero. And he was the one that got me to where I am now."

"A maid for Seto Kaiba?"

"Yes. My father is Michi, the faithful cook. And we are both happy where we are."

"I see."

Rose smiled, "You better go. Master Kaiba is not a very patient man." Anzu laughed. "I know. The ol' sourpuss. Good bye, Rose," she said. "Good bye, Miss Mazaki. And good luck," the maid replied.

"Call me Anzu."

"Very well, Anzu."

* * *

"Yes, I admit to leaving the house. But I told him, and even left a note to tell him I wasn't going to be back until later that night. But he found me, and hurt me. He pushed me against the wall of the building, insulted me, pushed me and kicked me. He insulted my mother. She left because he abused her. She thought that she was the reason why he was so abusive. That's why she left me and never contacted me again. But instead, I've been abused again for years afterward, mostly behind closed doors, and now this."

"When my brother and I saw the incident, he was the one who jumped into action. I, of course, went along, pulled him off of Anzu and, well, I did punch him. Mokuba went to her, when he managed to trip him, making him fall to hit the wall and land unconscious next to her. I managed to keep him constrained until police arrived, then I went with them to the hospital."

"I just want my daughter back. She is the only family I have left. Anzu, I promise to clean up! Please just come back."

Anzu held onto Seto's hand tightly as the verdict was read.

"In light of all the evidence given to me by witnesses and those present, I hereby find Mr. Mazaki to be guilty of abuse to a minor, full sentencing of six years in prison. Miss Mazaki, although you are a minor, I will allow you one week to find a place to stay at, and to stay at until you are eighteen by court decree. Case dismissed."

* * *

"So, Anzu, where are you going to stay?" Mokuba asked at the three of them left the courtroom, avoiding the media and entering the limo.

"I don't know."

"Well, for now, you're still staying with us. Now come on. Let's get going before they catch up."


	5. Packing Up and Moving On

Chapter 5: Packing Up and Moving On

Anzu went to sleep as soon as she arrived back at the mansion and stayed asleep until Rose awoke her for dinner. Michi made a special dinner for the three of them, then joined his daughter in a relaxing evening off. For the most part, the meal was silent.

"Anzu, did you decide yet?"

"No...I mean, I thought of leaving with Yugi or one of the guys, but I know there's not much extra room at the game shop, Joey's dad wouldn't exactly allow it, and Tristan's mom...well, she's not a big fan of girls constantly coming over to the house."

Seto sipped his cup of coffee, "Can't you find your mother and live with her?" Anzu shook her head, "I haven't seen her or even talked to her since she left when I was five. Like I said, she did it to protect me because she though she was the reason for Dad's anger." She sighed and took a bite of her steak.

"Figures. Looks like you're stuck here then."

"What?"

Both Anzu and Mokuba looked at the CEO with suspicious, curious eyes. "Well, it's not like you have much choice, do you?" he asked annoyed. Anzu smiled slightly, "Thanks, Kaiba." "Yeah, yeah. Just don't do any of your stupid friendship speeches around me, got it? And make some cookies for us, since you said you would," Seto said with a smug smile, receiving a glare. "Fine. I'll bake some this weekend. But for now, I'd like to eat then worry about getting my stuff in the morning," she said, returning her attention to her plate.

* * *

"Watch where you're throwing stuff!"

"Oops! Sorry, Joey!"

Anzu laughed as he picked up the pair of shorts she accidentally thrown at him as she was cleaning out her closet. He tossed it into a large garbage bag of clothes to be moved into the Kaiba mansion. Downstairs, Yugi, Tristan, and Seto were looking around for the list of items her father had hidden from her in his room that she wanted returned.

"So, Kaiba, what made you decide to take Anzu in?"

"You are starting to sound like the media that keep chasing us."

"Well, it is unlike you to be so kind to one of us."

Seto glared at Yugi, "I don't have that cold of a heart, if that's what you're thinking." His hand landed on a square-shaped pendant with an emerald in the center. "Found the emerald pendant," he said, placing it in the little jewelry box that Anzu gave them for the pieces. Inside was already a pair of stud ruby earrings, a dark red and blue yarn bracelet, and a silver double-loop bracelet with a pendant connecting them with the kanji for peace engraved into it. "Okay, so all that's left is the red heart stud earrings," Tristan said, looking at the list. The three boys looked around until Yugi spotted them on the nightstand.

"Wow, these things are broken. Why does Anzu want these?"

"These were the earrings her father broke when he attacked her."

Seto remembered seeing her father pick them up and placing them in his coat pocket before being escorted into the police car. '_She must want them for a more personal reason_,' he thought, taking them from Yugi's hand and placing them in the box. "All right, let's get these to her so she can pack them up," Yugi said, already making his way to leave the room. They could hear Joey screaming upstairs, and Tristan sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that his face met up with her underthings?" he asked, making Yugi blush at the thought. Seto scoffed, "Idiot."

As soon as they entered upstairs, they realized that Joey accidentally dropped a heavy book on his foot, and he now sat on the bed. "Damn, Anzu! Why in da hell do you keep a heavy book in ya backpack?" he asked angrily. "It's for reading, duh," she replied, placing more clothes into the garbage bag.

"Well, at least he didn't find her bras and panties."

"Tristan!"

"Hey, just saying!" he said, dodging a shoe that she thrown at him. "Did you guys find the stuff?" Anzu asked, taking the book and placing it in a large bag. "Yeah. Why did your dad take these things away from you?" Yugi asked, placing the jewelry box on the bed. She looked at the pieces and sighed, "He liked taking away the things that meant so much to me. The ruby earrings was given to me for my fourth birthday by my mother, the bracelet I made during summer camp, and the bracelet was a gift from my dance teacher." Her eyes landed on the busted earrings and she held them up in her hands.

"I bought these on the day Dad attacked me. I was going to wear them to school on Tuesday, to be a substitute for the other earrings. Tuesday would mark twelve years since Mom left me behind. I know I shouldn't celebrate that, but I just thought...I would."

She sighed, placed them back into the box, then placed it inside of another, larger box of different items. "Well, I think I got almost everything. I just need to grab a couple of things more, but I think the bags and stuff can go downstairs in into the limo," she said. Tristan and Joey nodded as they took the bags and began to leave the room. Yugi took the backpack and the box of books, and left shortly behind them. Seto looked at Anzu as she took her pillows and blankets off her bed and began to fold them up to place them in a large garbage bag. "Are you done with the other bag and box?" Seto asked. "Just need to add one more thing," Anzu said, looking behind her and pulling out a picture frame from her dresser. He looked over to see her staring at the picture of a family.

"This was taken on my fifth birthday. Before my mother left. Before my father turned his abusive habit on me. It's one of the few things of my mother's I have now. Dad threw pretty much everything out when she left, but I managed to save a few things."

She held the frame to her chest, trying to keep her tears back, then placed it carefully in the box. "Okay, well, after I get the bedding in, I'm ready to go," she said, folding up the flaps. Seto nodded, taking the bag and box in his arms. Anzu tied up the bag of bedding and slung it over her shoulders. She made her way towards the door, placed the bag down and fixed so that she held it instead. "You are so weak, Mazaki. Can't carry a bag of blankets and pillows?" he said smugly, taking the bag from her and giving her the box. Anzu stuck out her tongue at him. "You know, if I'm going to be living with you, you should start calling me Anzu. It will get very annoying, very quickly if you keep calling me Mazaki," she said.

"Fine."

"Good. Now come on. Let's go. It's time I left this place behind."


	6. Good Night Kiss

Chapter 6: Good Night Kiss

Anzu sighed as she fell back on her bed. She spent most of the day setting up her room with her things, although in the end, she threw a portion of her clothes out that was ripped and torn and her old bedding became ruined in the wash that Rose did. Seto disappeared soon after their arrival back, leaving Anzu and the others to work on bringing everything in and fixing it up. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan eventually left after making sure everything was inside and the heavy things were put away. With help from Michi, Mokuba brought in a bookcase from the playroom for Anzu's books and special items.

'_It's so weird. To wake up every day knowing that I won't be hit anymore. Sure, now I'm pretty much an orphan living with Kaiba, but you know what? I'd take this over living with my dad any day._'

She looked over to her dresser, at the picture frame with the photo of her family. Her old family. She sighed again, "They're gone. It's just me. But...that's all right. Everything's all right." She closed her eyes, feeling tired from all that she did. "Maybe I sleep until dinner. I'm sure Mokuba or Rose will wake me up when it's ready," she muttered, slipping off into a slumber.

* * *

"Wow, who would've thought I would see THE Seto Kaiba in a store for girls!"

Seto glared at the lady behind the counter. "You're that Mai girl, aren't you?" he asked the blonde, and she nodded. "Yep. Joey's girlfriend, if you remember from the homecoming dance. So, what are you searching for? A gift for a girlfriend?" she asked, coming out from behind the counter to assist him. Seto pulled out Anzu's broken earrings from his pocket. He managed to take them from the box they were packed in when no one was looking, then left quickly saying that he had work to do.

"I'm looking for a new pair of these. These originally belong to Mazaki, but--"

"Broken by her dad? Thought so. They're over here. Lucky for you, we have one pair left."

Mai pointed to a rack of earrings where another pair was hanging. He quickly grabbed it up, paid for it, and left. "Say hello to Anzu for me!" she said, receiving no response from the quiet Kaiba.

'_Maybe these will cheer her up. Don't see why I'm wasting my time on my enemy's cheerleader, but...for some odd reason seeing her cry is almost upsetting._'

* * *

"Anzu! Anzu, time for dinner! Michi made lasagna! And it smells really, really good!" Mokuba said, shaking the teen from her sleep. "Huh? Oh yeah, I fell asleep. Thanks, Mokuba," she said, smiling and getting up from her bed. She followed him to the dining room, where Seto was already sitting and waiting, seemingly impatient.

"About time."

"Sorry. I was asleep."

Michi smiled as he and Rose came out with plates ready with dinner. "Please enjoy. I'm afraid this will be the last meal I'll be cooking for awhile," he said heavily, feeling a bit remorseful. "Hmm? What's wrong, Michi?" Mokuba asked. "Dad is getting surgery done in two days, and will be out for about a month," Rose said. "Which means we have to cook for ourselves," Seto said, almost resentfully, but his voice held a strange bit of laughter to it. Anzu looked at him, then at Michi. "Well...if you want, I can cook while you're gone. I don't mind it so much, and I sometimes find it to be fun," she said.

"Anzu."

"It's okay, Mokuba. It's the least I can do for you guys taking care of me and letting me stay here."

"If that's what you want to do, go ahead. But please try not to burn the house down," Seto said, taking a bite of lasagna. Anzu glared at him, "Very funny, Kaiba."

* * *

Anzu was almost ready for bed when a knock came on her door. She quickly put her robe on over her blue silk nightgown and answered to find Seto standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Kaiba."

"Hey. Sorry for disturbing you."

"I wasn't doing much. Just about to brush my hair, that's all. What's up?"

Seto came in slightly, "I see you settled in nicely." Anzu smiled, "Yeah. Everyone helped me out. Mokuba is letting me use the bookcase for my books and stuff, which really helped in keeping the room clean." He nodded, then reached into his pocket. He took out a small, wrapped present and gave it to her. "Here. Consider it a welcoming present," he said, trying his best to hide the little tinge of blush that was forming on his face. She looked at it curiously at first, then unwrapped it to reveal a box. She opened it and gasped, "The earrings! They're the same ones--"

"The ones your dad broke. I went out and got you another pair."

"Kaiba...thank you!"

She smiled at him and, impulsively, gave him a hug. Seto was shocked by this sudden move. A girl actually hugging him, and that girl being Anzu Mazaki? It was unthinkable. Knowing no other choice in the matter, he awkwardly hugged her back, and relaxed when she didn't stiffen. She was happy, and he made her happy.

She pulled back and smiled with her blue eyes bright. "Thank you so much," she said, taking them and placing them on her dresser. She was going to wear them tomorrow for sure. She then turned back to him and asked curiously, "Why did you get them?"

"It seemed to mean a lot to you. Not that I care, but I rather not see you cry again. You may upset Mokuba, and that's the last thing I want."

Anzu smiled and sighed. "Yeah, true," she said, "I'll wear them tomorrow. Thank you again, Kaiba." "You can call me Seto. If you want me to call you Anzu, better start calling me Seto," he said. "Fine, Seto. Well, I guess I should get to bed. Good night," she said, giving him one last hug. This time, he knew what to do and returned the affection properly.

'_Why does she seem so warm? So...sweet?_'

He looked down at her face, innocent with a gentle smile. He suddenly wanted that smile to never go away. As if he wanted to always make her smile, to always feel so warm, to never see tears mar her cheeks again. As she began to pull away, he didn't seem to want to let her go. She looked at him sweetly, a bit of sleepiness in her eyes.

Something in him clicked and took control as he leaned his head down enough so his lips met hers and gave her a little kiss. "Good night, Anzu," he said quickly, pulling back and leaving, closing the door behind him. She stood there, surprised by his move and placing a finger to her lips.

'_Did he...did he just kiss me?_'

'_What did I just do? Why did I kiss her? Ugh...hormones. I need to get back to work before I go crazy._'


	7. A Date?

Chapter 7: A Date?

Anzu woke up the next morning, her arms slightly aching from the work she had done yesterday. Her mind quickly flashed to last night, to the moment she shared with Seto. '_It must have been a dream. There was no way someone like Seto Kaiba would ever kiss me. The cold sourpuss would never do anything like that_,' she thought, getting up and going to the closet to get dressed.

In the kitchen, Seto was alone and sipping coffee. Mokuba was sleeping in as he always was on Sunday mornings, leaving him alone to wonder his thoughts. They shifted from work to Michi's surgery to...the kiss. '_Ugh, damn hormones! Why in the hell did I kiss her? She's Yugi's freaking cheerleader! His cute, warm...Ugh! Get out of my head!_' he yelled at himself. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Anzu entered, wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, the red heart earrings in her ears and sparkling in the light of the chandelier above the table. "Morning, Seto. Mokuba's still asleep or something?" she asked as she went to make her a cup of tea. Seto nodded, sipping his coffee.

"It's a lazy Sunday morning."

"I guess."

"You never heard of that saying, have you?"

"There's no such thing as a lazy morning when you're busy."

Anzu smirked, "So sitting at the table sipping coffee is busy. Wow, I wish I had your luck." He glared at her, then shook off her comment as he went to pour another cup of coffee. She just sighed with her smile as she waited for her water to boil for her tea.

"Anzu...about last night..."

"Yes?"

"It was an...accident. A lost in the moment thing. Don't be thinking much into it."

"Of course. It's you, Seto. You're too busy for romance and stuff like that."

Anzu sighed, a bit heavier than her last one. Seto noted this, and partly took it as a challenge. "Are you trying to irritate me?" he asked. "No, I wasn't," she said bluntly, turning off the stove and pouring some of the water into her cup. She reached into the cabinet to get a tea bag, which she was stopped by Seto.

"You are doing a very good job at it."

"Look, all I want to do is--"

"Well, I guess I'll just have to take you out."

Anzu froze for a moment. "What?" she asked, thinking she heard wrong. "Tonight, Mokuba can make something for himself. We're going out to dinner. Wear something nice, and the earrings. You best be ready by 7:30," he said, taking his coffee and leaving a stunned Anzu watching him.

'_Wow...I must still be dreaming._'

* * *

"You look beautiful, Anzu. A perfect fit."

"Thank you, Rose. I didn't have anything fancy to wear, so I'm very grateful that you took me out to find something."

"It wasn't a problem. We are friends, aren't we?"

"Yes," Anzu said, smiling at the young maid. She looked herself over in the mirror. She wore a light violet summer-like dress, with silk straps over her shoulders in a color a little lighter than the dress itself. It was made to match the floral embroidery that designed the dress. She wore the same shoes as she wore with her fancier or business-like outfits, and the earrings were almost bold compared to the color of the dress. "All right. Well, I guess...wish me luck or something," she said, taking up her purse and jacket. "Good luck, Anzu. Please inform of the night, because I am wanting to know. This is the first date I've ever know Master Kaiba to go on a date, at least since I started working here."

"Oh, great. So we are both pretty much going on first dates. Well, bye Rose."

"Good bye, Anzu."

Downstairs in the living room, Mokuba was laughing at his brother, straightening out his casual-but-dressy outfit. A simple, white dress shirt with a long tie, black dress slacks and black shoes; it was something that no one usually saw. "Shut up, Mokuba," he said to his laughter.

"Oh, it's not the outfit, Big Brother. It's you asking Anzu out. I didn't know you liked her."

"I don't. She challenged me, and I'm proving her wrong."

"Uh-huh. Suuure, Seto. Whatever you say."

Seto glared at his little brother, still stifling back a laugh. Anzu's footsteps came down the stairs, and soon she came into view. "All right, I'm ready," she said, looking at her date for the evening. She blushed upon seeing him, never seeing him wearing anything so...unlike him. "You're not going to laugh, are you?" he asked her, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. She shook her head, "No. I just never thought I'd see you in something so casual."

"Whatever. Let's go. I have reservations at Takine's."

* * *

Takine's was a high-end restaurant downtown. Anzu never been there, but she had heard good reviews about it. Excellent food, wonderful entertainment, friendly atmosphere. Seto went there one time before and enjoyed himself, so it was the first place to come to mind. As the limo pulled up to the front of the restaurant, Anzu looked at the large building with a little bit of wonder. She never been to a place like this before, and to think she was there with Seto Kaiba. She noticed the door open and Seto extending his hand to her, acting very chivalrous. He closed the door, then motioned to the driver to leave.

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba. Your table is waiting, if you will follow me."

The waiter bowed and led Seto and Anzu to their table, leaving them two menus to look at. He bowed again then departed, leaving them time to look over what they wanted. They were both silent, as Anzu took in the music lightly playing and the dim lights made better by candles. It was...romantic, and it made her blush. This didn't get past Seto, who laughed at her.

"You're blushing, Anzu."

"Oh! No, I'm not! It's just warm in here!"

She hid her face behind her menu, making him laugh again. "Shut up, Seto," she muttered, focusing on finding something to eat instead of her embarrassment.

* * *

The night went very well, with little more embarrassment from Anzu. The food was excellent, and they actually talked unlike what they normally did. Soon after the meal was done, they had a piece of wonderful chocolate cake, which Seto decided to tease his date by saying that she should make cake and try to outdo them. She laughed at that, blushed, and focused on eating. Afterwards, the limo was called to take them back home.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Seto. I really enjoyed myself."

"Hmm. Now you can't say I don't have time for romance and things like that."

Anzu laughed as she moved towards the staircase. "I guess not. Well, good night, Seto," she said, quickly giving him a kiss on his cheek then going upstairs.

'_That's twice now...what the hell is going on with us? I don't like her, and she doesn't like me...does she?_'

Seto shook the thought from his head. "Damn hormones," he muttered before falling on the couch to watch a little television.


	8. An Accident Long Ago

Chapter 8: The Accident Long Ago

The weeks went on since Anzu came to live with the Kaiba brothers, and she couldn't be happier. She was cooking in place of Michi, still recovering from surgery, which she received many compliments from the brothers and the maids that serve the house. Seto has tried to avoid many "awkward" situations, due to what he blamed on hormones, by focusing on work, which wasn't easy with Mokuba's constant questions about his feelings about the cheerleader. Each time Seto denied having feelings for her, Mokuba would laugh and doubt, then run out of the room before something was thrown at him.

One night, though, Anzu kept herself to her room, only coming out to cook, then disappearing again with her food. Rose spend the night with her, after her work was done, and Seto swore he could hear stifled sobs whenever he would walk past her bedroom door. Mokuba was the only one brave enough to knock on the door, but he was told to go away (in a gentle way, by Rose) and he left it at that.

'_What's wrong with her? Why isn't she letting either of us in?_'

The next day, Anzu still kept to her room, and Rose did two jobs: her normal tasks and helping Anzu. She warned, with apologies, the boys not to disturb her, despite questions asked of her. "I can't tell you, Master Kaiba. I won't betray Anzu's trust like that. Please forgive me, sir," she would say, then go off to do laundry or to make a trip to the store.

Hours went on, and Seto became annoyed with Rose dodging his questions. So, soon after Rose left to pick up Seto's tuxedo from the dry cleaners and Mokuba was off at a party for a friend of his, he went to Anzu's door. He was nice and knocked first, receiving no answer.

"Anzu? It's Seto. Can I come in?"

"No. Please, don't come in...please, just go away!"

This angered him, but he kept it inside, "I just want to help. Let me in, okay?"

"No! Please, just go away!"

Seto became annoyed, which made him sigh. "You are being so damn stubborn," he muttered. He began to walk away when the door opened slightly. "I'm sorry, but...I just can't talk about it right now," she said, trying her best to hide her eyes behind the door. However, she couldn't escape his look.

"You've been crying all night, haven't you?"

"N-no, I haven't."

"Anzu, stop being stubborn. Let me help you and I can try to under--"

"You wouldn't understand! You never have to experience it!"

She slammed the door closed, and Seto could hear her cry behind the door. He opened the door, dodging a pillow thrown at him. "Go away!" she cried, not hiding the tears falling from her puffy red eyes. Seto looked at her with a look of pity and annoyance at her attempt at hitting him. "Nice try, but I'm used to having pillows thrown at me during tantrums. Now, what's wrong? And don't give me that pathetic excuse," he said. She looked at him angrily, "It's not an excuse. It's something you can't go through." He glared at her, "And how do you know?"

"Can a guy get pregnant? Can a guy get raped and pregnant, then have to go through the pain of an abortion? No, you can't! So how can you ever understand or help me!?"

Anzu buried her face into a pillow, crying harder than she was. Seto was stunned by what she just told him, never believing that something like that could happen to someone like her.

"Was it your father?"

"No, but I get the feeling it was something of his doing. He didn't show me any sympathy when I was raped, then when I found out I was pregnant. All he said was he was going to force me to have an abortion. It was a couple years ago, but it still...it still hurts me today."

Anzu sniffled, trying to wipe her eyes with a tissue. Seto approached her and knelt down, staring at her with eyes full of sadness. "You're right. I don't understand. But I want to still help you. You have to let me help you, so you don't cry like this anymore," he said softly, very unlike him to show that much care, and he lifted her face to look at him. She stared at him, not believing his kindness, then she leaned against him.

"Thank you, Seto."

"Of course."

He wrapped his arms around her as she slowly relaxed and fell asleep. Once she fell asleep, he picked her up bridal-style and placed her down gently on her bed, leaving a small kiss on her forehead. He left the room and closed the door, just as Rose was coming up the hall.

"You did a good job."

"Sir?"

Seto walked past her, a smile on his face. A rare smile for him, of course. Rose looked at him, shrugged, then turned and entered Anzu's room.

'_She'll be all right. I'll make sure of it. And this time...I'm not blaming my hormones._'


	9. Another Kiss

Chapter 9: Another Kiss

Seto and Anzu had never been closer since that day. She came out that evening, a smile on her face and ready to cook. However, Seto offered to take them all, including Rose, to dinner at Takine's, which made them all very happy. They went and changed, Rose borrowing an outfit of Anzu due to the lack of time to get a new outfit at her house. The other maids were given the evening off, and the four of them set out for dinner.

Afterwards, Rose went home, promising to return the outfit tomorrow, leaving Anzu and the Kaiba brothers on their own. Instead of going home right away, they decided to walk around, the night being very warm and still young. On occasion, they stopped to look in the windows of some of the shops, but that ended once they reached Domino Park.

Anzu sighed, "This place seems so different now. It's hard to imagine that I used to live here." The boys looked at her as her eyes darted to her old home at the end of the block. By now, the house was sold, the money gone to a charity as Anzu requested, and whatever was left inside was now gone. There was a small, dim light in one of the windows, from the living room fireplace, no doubt. Seto took her hand in his, and Mokuba did the same with her other. She smiled at both of them, "Let's go home."

* * *

Mokuba went straight to his room, remembering he still had to finish a book report for school the next morning. Anzu decided to watch television for a little while, Seto joining her soon after he got into more relaxing (and more normal for him) clothes. She flipped through the channels until she found one showing some sort of cartoon, and was silent at they both watched. The only time noise was heard was when something happened to make either of them laugh.

The night went on, and eventually Mokuba joined them, but only for awhile until he decided to go to bed, leaving them again in silence. He did leave them with a laugh, which made Anzu wonder in her thoughts and Seto slightly angered.

'_He just enjoys this, doesn't he? He actually thinks that I like her._'

'_Well, you do._'

'_No I don't. Why would I like a cheerleader?_'

'_She's cute, adorable, and cares about you._'

'_No she doesn't...does she?_'

'_Ugh, what am I doing? I'm having an argument with myself! Damn thoughts. Damn hormones._'

Finally, Anzu spoke, "Why was Mokuba laughing at us? Were we doing something funny?" Seto tried to hide his blush. "He's being strange. He was just tired, that's all," he said. Anzu looked at him questioning, then turned back to the TV. "I see. Well, hopefully he'll tell me what was so funny tomorrow," she said.

'_Crap._'

"It was probably an inside joke between me and him I don't remember right now. I've been really focused on work lately."

'_I'm going to have to kill...no, have a very stern talk with him tomorrow..._'

"I know. You need to find some time to relax, Seto. Like this. I mean, I'm so relaxed and I feel great," Anzu said, smiling, "The only other things that could be more relaxing is either a massage or a long bubble bath." Seto coughed, trying his best not to imagine that (although his mind and hormones had a very hard time trying to get rid of that image). Anzu blushed, feeling very awkward at that moment.

"Well...um, I guess I should get to bed...I mean, we do have school tomorrow and stuff."

"Anzu, it's fine."

She already started to get up, trying her best to hide her brightened cheeks, but Seto was very quick and managed to sit her back down. "Just relax, okay? I didn't mean to embarrass you. Sheesh, you are so easy to make blush, you know that?" he said, making her glare at him. "Haha. Very funny, Seto Kaiba," she said.

He smirked at her. He actually enjoyed seeing her annoyed; it made her cuter than she already was. Of course, only his "hormones" would make him think that Anzu was cute, at least, what he would blame on them. "Well, it's true, Anzu Mazaki. You can't deny it," he said. She became defensive, "Yeah I can! I'm not a girl that easily blushes!" Seto laughed, then Anzu took that moment to initiate a plan to make him "pay" for teasing her. '_Thank you, Mokuba_,' she thought, tackling Seto to the couch.

She began to tickle him.

Seto began to laugh almost out of control as she used his weakness against him. "D-damn it! A-a-anzu! Stop!" he tried to say through fits of laughter. Anzu smirked, "That's what you get for teasing me! Now you know better." Seto tried his best to stop her, almost succeeding, but she managed to get away and continue her "fun."

Finally, after what seemed like an hour of being subjected to Anzu's tickle torture, Seto managed to figure out a way to pin Anzu to the couch under him. She tried to escape, but Seto's arms kept her to the couch. "So, Miss Blush, any other ideas?" he asked, slightly panting as he tried to catch his breath. She sighed, "No. Man, how did you do that?"

"Easy. I'm stronger."

"With a tickle weakness."

"Which I'm sure Mokuba told you."

"Maybe." Anzu smirked at him, not going to tell. This partly annoyed him, partly spurred him on. He smirked at her, making her slightly blush again and look away.

"I won."

"Shut up."

'_She is cute. She is so very cute...Ugh, what am I thinking!_'

'_Seto likes Anzu! Seto likes Anzu!_'

'_I need to shut up._'

'_Well...you could always kiss her._'

'_Why does my mind insist on tormenting me?_'

"Um, Seto? I think it's time we go to bed. I mean, we do have school tomorrow," Anzu muttered, trying to hide her cheeks under her hair. His thoughts broke and he remembered that he was still pinning her to the couch. He got off of her, allowing her to sit up. "Well, um...good night, Seto. Thank you for taking me out to dinner again," she said, giving him a small kiss on his cheek. As she pulled away, Seto began to feel a want for more. More than a kiss on the cheek. More than a hug. Something like what he had awhile ago, when he gave her the earrings.

Before she could leave, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her close enough to capture her lips with his own. Anzu's eyes widened, not expecting for Seto Kaiba, the usually cold-hearted Seto Kaiba, to kiss her, yet again on her lips.

'_Why? Why is he kissing me? Why am I not stopping him? Anzu, gain some control!_'

'_His lips...he's so warm._'

Escaping his hands, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Feeling that, he deepened the kiss very slightly, not to scare her away.

'_Yeah, I like her._'


	10. No Denial? Everyone Finds Out

Author's Note: Well, the fic's almost done! Pretty much this is going to be the last chapter. Don't worry; they'll be a lot of fun stuff put in. Thank you for all of the reviews! This is pretty much a lame way to end it, but I wanted to put a little more comedy in it with everyone finding out, then add a bit of fluff. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: No Denial? Everyone Finds Out

Slowly and reluctantly, the kiss was broken. They both stared at each other, surprised by what just happened, but then a smile broke out on Anzu's face. "Mokuba was laughing at us, wasn't he? He knew something we didn't," she said. Seto groaned, "One of these days." She laughed at him, then sighed. "Funny how he knew that we liked each other and we didn't," she said softly.

"How do you know I like you?"

"It's pretty obvious, since you were the one that kissed me first."

Seto glared at her, knowing that once again she was right. "Damn it," he muttered, making her laugh again.

"So, does this mean you are going to ask me out or am I going to?"

"Why bother? Since it's going to happen anyway, why does it matter?"

"True."

She leaned up against him, smiling, "Thanks, Seto." Seto held her, not knowing what exactly she was meaning in this case, but he didn't ask either.

The next morning, Mokuba awoke them with a laugh. "Way to go, Big Brother! You finally have a girlfriend!" he exclaimed, then went off into the kitchen to make himself a bowl of cereal with milk. Seto groaned again, as Anzu laughed. "Mokuba!" she called, getting off of the couch (and Seto) and going into the kitchen after him.

"I don't hear any denial!"

"Shut up, Mokuba."

* * *

News travels fast early in the morning. Especially when Mokuba has a phone in his room, with the numbers plugged in for Yugi and the others.

When Anzu and Seto entered into their class, Joey was already there, and came up to them shaking Anzu's shoulders.

"Why didn't ya tell us that you were goin' out with Ol' Moneybags?!"

"Joey, calm down!"

"Stop it, Mutt."

Seto took Anzu away from his grip, making Joey stare at him. "Joey, it's all right. We only started going out, okay? Just keep your cool, all right?" she said, laughing. Yugi and Tristan sighed, as Joey tried his best to calm down.

"All right, all right. But get this straight Kaiba. If you eva hurt our Anzu in anyway, I will kill ya."

"Heh. I'd like to see you try, Muttface."

"Why I oughta--"

"Joey!" Tristan called out, trying to restrain his friend before he got into trouble. Seto laughed, enjoying Joey's outburst. Anzu sighed and sat in her desk next to Yugi.

"You are a lot happier, Anzu. I'm so glad."

"Yeah."

"How long do you think Tristan can keep Joey restrained?"

"Hmm, I'll give it about 2 more minutes. Then the teacher will come in and do the rest."

Yugi laughed, "Yeah, pretty much. Or better yet. Hey, Joey! How about a quick duel?" Joey calmed down slightly after that, "Fine."

Seto joined Anzu at her desk, arms folded against his chest. "Don't tell me I'll have to deal with this all the time," he said

"Yep. That's what happens when you're dating a "cheerleader."

She smiled at him sweetly, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "You'll get used to it." He sighed slightly, "I better, or else Wheeler is going to really get on my nerves more than before." Anzu just laughed at him and turned to watch the duel (which, once again, Joey was losing).


End file.
